Book: The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2) by Rick Riordan

★★★★/★★★★★

Percy is back with another quest, this time to save Grover and Half-Blood Hill. And though it wasn’t really his quest, well, who could be as headstrong as Percy Jackson?

Again, I loved Percy’s adventures and on this book he and his friends braved the Sea of Monsters. It was fun and I enjoyed it as much as the first book. And wasn’t Tyson the sweetest? I mean, he’s like a baby cyclops but he’s saved Percy’s life a million times! Now I’m loving this book more and more.

“Families are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy. Sometimes the best we can do is to remind each other that we’re related for better or for worse…and try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum.”

Book: The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan

★★★★/★★★★★

Well, I’m pretty sure my life would’ve been different if I’d just read this when I was 12!

Percy Jackson is a bad-ass demigod, son of Poseidon. Of course, he doesn’t know this at first until monsters start terrorizing him. He then learns about his true identity when he arrives at Camp Half-Blood where his quests begin.

I really enjoyed the first book and I can’t believe I’m only reading the series now that I’m 23! Ugh! And I can’t believe I loved the movie.

“The real world is where the monsters are.”

How to be a #SelfieExpert

📷 📷 📷
Who doesn't post a selfie on their social media accounts?
Everybody loves selfies and getting perfect ones always makes us happy. Some people take a selfie as soon as they get up in the morning. Some before going out to meet a friend. Some while eating and everyone, I repeat EVERYONE, when we feel like we're prettier than usual. And I think that it's been a part of our every day to post a selfie on our timeline.

Because taking a selfie is as easy as pose-snap-post

 And as they say, Just be your #Selfie! 

I know we all have our own ways of taking selfies but let me give you tips on how to be a #SelfieExpert

*Five tips on how to take the perfect selfie.*

📷 Be it left or right, you should know by now where your good side is. Because who would want to capture their not so good side, anyway? You can also experiment by adjusting your shoulders once in a while and see if it makes your selfies better. 📷

📷 You don't want your background to be your room's messy side or someone smoking behind you. So you always have to look for a good background in order to take a good selfie. You also need good lighting. Natural light is perfect but if you're indoor, be sure to have a good light so you can take good ones. Another thing, watch out for photo-bombers! 📷

📷 If you want to fly, think happy thoughts. If you want a good selfie, just smile. Because a smile is the best make-up anyone can wear. And it's what selfie is, right? To capture your selfie-ness. So just smile, or make faces, be you and snap away. 📷

📷 Most of the times we're happy with our selfies but sometimes we feel like there's something missing/wrong with them and adding filters seems to fix it. So whenever I feel like the lighting is not good or my color is a bit dark, I always use Molome or, of course, Instagram filters. 📷

📷 Good selfies require a good camera phone. How can you take selfies if your camera phone can't capture them clearly and beautifully? And imagine if you're using the new OPPO F1 Selfie Expert with 8-megapixel front camera that lets your selfie be clearer. 📷

It has features like Beautify 3.0 that will make you look stunning all the time and Screen Flash which allows you to take a selfie even in low light conditions. These features will definitely give you a perfect selfie and I definitely would want to have one.

To have a better look and idea at how perfect OPPO F1 Selfie Expert is for your selfies, visit OPPO Philippines.

I'm convinced that OPPO F1 Selfie Expert is taking the art of selfie to the next level. With its features and specs it won't only give you your best selfies but also a complete package. 

Specs:

Display - 5in 1280 x 720 IPS LCD screen 

OS - ColorOS 2.1, based on Android 5.1

Processor - Snapdragon 616 1.7GHz octa-core CPU

RAM - 3GB

Storage - 16GB with microSD

Rear camera - 13MP with phase detection and f/2.2 lens

Front camera - 8MP with f/2 lens

Battery - 2500mAh 

After seeing this, don't you feel like getting one so you can also take your selfies to the next level? :)

I's been nice sharing some tips on how to take the perfect selfie and I hope these help. 📷

For more information about OPPO F1, you can visit their social media accounts.

• OPPO Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OPPOPH
• OPPO Twitter: https://twitter.com/OPPOphilippines
• OPPO Instagram: https://instagram.com/OPPOphilippines

 📷 📷 📷

Book: The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore

★★★★★/★★★★★

 Beautiful. Whimsical. Lovely. Magical.

There are so many words to describe this book but I think PERFECT is the best word to describe it.

Anna-Marie McLemore really did a good job with this book. I love love love it and I can say that it's one of my favorites now. There are so many things I loved about this book and let me start with the cover. Isn't it beautiful? Looking at it already made me fall in love and knowing Lace and Cluck ruined me even more. In a good way, of course. I mean, I ached when they did, I cried when they did, I flew when they did, and at some point I just wanted to tell both their families to back off so that they could live happily ever after! I also liked how it has a touch of both Spanish and French languages that I had to stop once in while thinking if I knew the words or not. Most times, I didn't. 

The magical realism in it, the Corbeaus growing feathers at the back of their hair and the Palomas with their scale-like birthmarks, didn't sink in to me at first but when I finally realized they're really there, I just had to love it even more. And the romance between Cluck and Lace, it was lovely and perfect. I liked that they needed to be sure first before they do something with each other. I liked how Cluck taught Lace how to climb a tree, always making sure to tell her that he got her and he'd never let her fall. I liked how Lace always pulled Cluck to the river even though he didn't like to swim. I liked how Cluck is beautiful and kind and how Lace is fierce and strong. I liked that even though their families are enemies, even though the Corbeaus fly and the Palomas swim, Cluck still taught Lace to fly and Lace taught Cluck to swim. I liked that they made each other's wings lighter by loving each other.

"She was there to pull Cluck to his feet and keep him there if he couldn't stand. To make sure none of the pieces of him got lost if he broke."

"Cluck had brought her so high she thought she could brush her fingers against the moon."

Poem: Introducing Me

Beautiful is pretty

And so is Me

Idc what you say

So just go away

My friends call me Dez

But who really cares

I'm quiet and nice

They say they love my eyes

I love places and nature

I always want adventure

Blue skies and oceans

I'll travel if I have a chance

I love blue and Fridays

And so music and movies

I love books just like you

So it's really  nice to know you.

Three Words

Are you okay?
I miss you.
Have you eaten?
Where are you?
I like you.
Take care always.

These are three words we always hear but don't really get and realize the real meaning. We're maybe used to people telling us these but how about we take time to understand what they really mean? Because sometimes, we hear the words but we don't take time to feel their meaning.

Are you okay? Don't you feel even a little bit better when you hear someone ask you this? Isn't it nice when someone is concerned enough to ask Are you okay? after a long day at school/work? Because I think that only the people who love you will be the ones who will care enough to know how are you at the end of the day.

I miss you. Three words that can always warm our heart. I miss you can also mean I want to see you, Come back here, and so many other things. We often hear our relatives and friends say this especially when they're living away from us and don't you think it's their way of telling us that they want to see us again because they have so many things to share and say to us? These may be simple words but to others, they mean so much.

Have you eaten? This one is my personally favorite because when you hear this from someone, you know they truly love you. Because who would want their love one to starve? I think it's also our way of telling someone "Hey, let's have lunch/dinner so we can catch up on things about each other." or simply, "I'm hungry, let's get something to eat and talk about everything while we're on it." And who doesn't smile when they hear the word "eat", anyway?

Where are you? This could mean so many things. Because when someone asks you this, they also want to know if you're safe, who are you with, what time will you be coming home and what are you doing. Most times it simply means the place where you are, sometimes it means a lot of things and usually it means I'm worried about you especially coming from our mothers when it's late at night and we're still not home.

I like you. It's a compliment we all want to hear from someone. But generally, we hear this when someone feels an attraction or connection with us. There are different stages of likes for me. First, it's when you find someone physically attractive. I like him because he's cute. Second, it's when you find out that you have common interests and that you can talk to him about anything. I like him because I can connect with him. Third, it's when you can't stop thinking about that person anymore. I like him because he's been running inside my head 24/7 and I always want to see him. Fourth, and the most exciting one, it's when you finally realize that he's not only cute but he also understands you and he drives you crazy. I like him.

Take care always. I also love this one because hearing these words is also a sign that the person saying it cares so much about you. He wants you to be safe, to be far from any danger and to always take care. It's nice to know that someone is concern about your well-being and isn't it heartwarming when he already knows that you're capable of taking care of yourself but he still want you to know/hear that he cares? It's sweet!

Then, there are the words I love you. And it says it all.

So, these are only few of those three words we always hear but don't bother to understand what really mean. And I hope that from now on, when we hear these words, we realize what the other person really means. That they care for us, that they love us.

Book: What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi

★★★/★★★★★

"Why don’t I ever seem to know what the right thing is? I hate you, brain."

Three Reasons Why I Read This Book

1. The Title -- From the moment I saw the cover, I knew someone died (is dying).

2. Ryden Brooks -- Being a teenage single father/mother is always a good read.

3. A friend's review -- She gave it 5 stars!

 What You Left behind is the story of Ryden Brooks being a teenage dad. What's worse is, his girlfriend, Meg, had cancer and died right after giving birth to their daughter. Now Ryden is a single father trying to make sense of everything that just happened -- why Meg had to die, why Meg left a notebook for him to find and Hope.

What I like most about this book is that it's so realistic people can easily relate to him. I mean, it's hard being a teenage single parent and Ryden shows us this by not knowing how to balance his time anymore, grieving for Meg and having a hard time figuring out how to take care of Hope. 

 Now Ryden has to manage his time between Hope, work, school and more importantly, soccer practice. He's struggling because Hope seems not to like him at all, always crying when she's with him, he's trying to do his duties as a father but seems to be failing (miserably!) school starts in a week and he has to figure out a way on how to work his time for soccer practice, school, work and Hope. Fortunately he has his very supportive mother (I love her, btw!) and friends like Alan and Mabel. Having Hope also affected his social life. His friends tiptoe with regard to Meg and his daughter and Ryden doesn't seem to know how to talk to them anymore. Then there's Joni. The single person in Ryden's life who knows nothing about his past. And Ryden likes it that way.

The notebook Meg left also makes Ryden go crazy. It adds to his frustrations because he knew Meg had left more for him to find. But everywhere he looked, he found nothing. Until he's stopped looking and everything seems to be going fine again. Until he's found his resolved by trying to be happy again and moving on with Joni. Until the goddamn notebook finally appears!

“Why does everything have to suck so bad? Even when you think it's getting better, it's not. Life's building up suckiness, getting ready to hit you again, at the worst possible moment.” 

While reading this book, there were times I felt like Ryden, stop looking for the damn notebook! and Ryden, tell her about Hope! and What the hell? Meg just died and now you're kissing her? 

 It's a 3-star for me and don't ask where the other two went. I don't know either. I just feel like 3 is all I can give.

TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM by Simple Plan

Simple Plan never gets old!

They just released their fifth studio album entitled Taking One For The Team last February 19, 2016 and it's awesome! It's really nice to hear new music from them since it's been a while since they last released an album.

Tracklist:

1. Opinion Overload

2. Boom!

3. Kiss Me Like Nobody's Watching

4. Farewell (Feat. Jordan Pundik)

5. Singing on the Rain (Feat. R. City)

6. Everything Sucks

7. I Refuse

8. I Don't Wanna Go To Bed (Feat. Nelly)

9. Nostalgic

10. Perfectly Perfect

11. I Don't Wanna Be Sad

12. P.S. I Hate You

13. Problem Child

14. I Dream About You (Feat. Juliet Simms) 

----------------

Opinion Overload

Boom!

I Don't Wanna Go To Bed (Feat. Nelly)

My favorites so far are Boom!, Everything Sucks, Perfectly Perfect, P.S. I Hate You and I Dream About You! :)

And new album means new tour dates so I'm really hoping they come back here in Manila! :D

You can listen to their album on their Spotify Account.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Spread the love and share your chocolates! :P

From Me to You, Happy Valentine's Day! :D

❤❤❤❤❤

Movies based on books that will make you believe in love

1. A Walk To Remember (2002)

"Our love is like the wind... I can't see it, but I sure can feel it."

The story of two North Carolina teens, Landon Carter and Jamie Sullivan, who are thrown together after Landon gets into trouble and is made to do community service.

 

  Based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks

Title: A Walk To Remember

PubDate: October 1999

Page count: 240

2. Love, Rosie (2014)

 “Life is funny isn’t it? Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, just when you finally begin to plan something, get excited about something, and feel like you know what direction you’re heading in, the paths change, the signs change, the wind blows the other way, north is suddenly south, and east is west, and you’re lost. It is so easy to lose your way, to lose direction. And that’s with following all the signposts”

Rosie and Alex have been best friends since they were 5, so they couldn't possibly be right for one another...or could they? When it comes to love, life and making the right choices, these two are their own worst enemies.  

 Based on a novel by Cecelia Ahern

Title: Love, Rosie

PubDate: 2004

Page count: 592

3. The Fault In Our Stars (2014)

 “Oh, I wouldn't mind, Hazel Grace. It would be a privilege to have my heart broken by you.”

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

 Based on a novel by John Green

Title: The Fault In Our Stars

PubDate: January 2012

Page count: 313

4. The Last Song (2010)

 “Sometimes you have to be apart from people you love, but that doesn't make you love them any less. Sometimes you love them more.”

A rebellious girl is sent to a Southern beach town for the summer to stay with her father. Through their mutual love of music, the estranged duo learn to reconnect. 

Based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks

Title: The Last Song

PubDate: September 2009

Page count: 405

5. The Best of Me (2014)

“Don't take my advice. Or anyone's advice. Trust yourself. For good or for bad, happy or unhappy, it's your life, and what you do with it has always been entirely up to you.”

A pair of former high school sweethearts reunite after many years when they return to visit their small hometown.

 Based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks

Title: The Best of Me

PubDate: October 2011

Page count: 304

I love all these films(novels) and I hope you'll enjoy them too!

TV Series: Sense8 (2015)

★★★★/★★★★★

Sense8 revolves around eight different people from around the globe who are mentally and emotionally connected with each other. They are called 'sensates' who are able to communicate, sense and use each other's knowledge, language and skills.

Characters: 

[WILL GORSKI]

Will is a Chicago cop, a man who often shows 'saviour behaviour' which he thinks he's responsible for other's well-being. He is haunted by Sarah Patrell, a girl whose murder his father was assigned to and couldn't solve when he was a child. As a sensate, he shares connection with the other 7 sensates.

I instantly liked Will's character because come on, he's a cop! And he always helps the other sensates especially when they need it the most. He's the first one to connect with Jonas and because of him they're able to save the other sensates from danger.

[RILEY BLUE]

Riley is an Icelandic dj who moved to London because she thought she was hexed and staying in Iceland will cause misfortune to those around her. She blamed herself for the death of her mother, as well as her husband and daughter. 

Her character contributes a lot to the plot of the series and I liked her too. She's scared but she's trying to be strong and her bravery will later on save all the other sensates. There's also a romantic connection between her and Will.


[WOLFGANG BOGDANOW]

Wolfgang is a German thief and safecracker. He has unsolved issues with his late father and his relatives which give him troubles. He's a bad ass and together with his bestfriend, Felix, they rob his cousin which later on leads to a bloodbath.

It's not hard to like Wolfie because he's, well, likeable. Growing up with an abusive father is never been easy so somehow I understand his actions even though it made him a monster. 
Some of his scenes also kinda shocked me because he's German. (If you know what I mean!)
  
[KALA DANDEKAR]

Kala is a pharmacist, working in a successful pharmaceutical company in Mumbai.  She's a devout Hindu, talking to Ganesha when she's lost or troubled. She's also engaged to Rajan Rasal, the CEO of the company she's working at, though she doesn't love him.

Throughout the series, Kala's story revolves around her marriage to Rajan. She doesn't know what to do because her family really likes Rajan and they think that she is marrying him for love. Enters Wolfgang who confuses her much more. Their scenes are all funny and I love them both.


[CAPHEUS "Van Damme"]

Capheus is a matatu driver living in Nairobi, Kenya with his mother who is fighting AIDS. He's desperately trying to earn money so he can buy and  give quality medicine to his mother. Despite being poor and less fortunate than the other sensate, Capheus stays optimistic. He always faces his problems with a positive attitude and lucky enough, he always overcomes whatever comes his way.

I feel bad for Capheus because among his cluster he's the unfortunate one. But hey, he's a good man and he has the other sensate to help him.


[SUN BAK]

 Sun is a South Korean business executive working in her father's company. She's also a kickboxer participating in an underground kickboxing where she feels more like herself. She's currently in prison for taking blame for what her brother did of embezzling money from their company.

Sun is a badass. She puts her anger on her fists and use them until she feels better. It has also helped the other sensate many times especially Capheus when he's in a bad situation. I like her because she's tough and because she's a girl who knows how to fight.


[LITO RODRIGUEZ]

Lito is a closeted gay Mexican actor living with his boyfriend, Hernando. No one knows he's gay but when Daniella, an actress who seems to fancy him, discovers this secret, he thought it would be the end of his career. But then it turns out that Daniela supports his relationship with Hernando and agrees to be his 'beard'.

Lito's character is hard to dislike because he tries his best to be a good straight actor portraying bad ass roles while hiding his true self which I know is hard.


[NOMI MARKS]

Nomi is a political blogger and hacktivist based in San Francisco. She's a proud trans woman and lesbian though her family doesn't support her. She's currently living with her girlfriend, Amanita, and together they are trying to find who wants to hurt Nomi and the other sensate.

Nomi has a painful past and it made her into becoming the woman she is today. Sharing this experience to Lito gives Lito the courage to finally be open and accept who he really is, not hiding anymore.

Season 1 Trailer

I really loved the series and I can't wait for season 2!
The first season ended with Riley saving Will, and automatically the other sensates, and I really want to know what will happen next. I hope all the 8 of them will finally see each other in person and together they solve this mystery happening to them.


[Screencaps]

*Riley and Will's first meeting

*When Kala was scared for Wolgang because he decided to face his Uncle.

Oh, hello there, Wolfgang.

 *Will warning Wolfgang to be careful

 *This was when Will helped Kala when some people at the temple tried to make her leave. Kala said she wouldn't let them scare her and she would be back at the temple and Will said "So will I" in case she needed help. It was so sweet of him.

 *Will and Riley meeting again

 *Right from their first meeting I knew there was some connection between Riley and Will and I'm not just talking about their connection as sensates but something more.
 

*Will didn't want to leave Riley when she was in the hospital because he knew she was in danger. And I think he really wanted to be with her.

 I just love this photo of Will. Hihi :")

 I love them both! :)

 *Capheus-Sun tandem was also one of my favorites. I liked that Sun was always always there when Capheus needed saving which was always. Poor Capheus he didn't know how to fight.

*These two had feelings for each other too but too bad Kala was getting married.

*Nomi needed help so Sun and Will came. Later on, Capheus also showed up because Nomi didn't know how to drive.

 *Riley and Nomi didn't interact a lot but when they did, they always talked about their problems and they encouraged each other.

 *This was when Will was on his way to save Riley when Whispers captured her. He was so determined he didn't even have a plan. Tsk.
 

*I laughed so hard on this episode. Lito was trying to help Will get inside the facility where Riley was but Will seemed not to remember him so Lito reminded him and Will's reaction was epic. Lol.

 *Will finally met Riley but she was unconscious. I loved this scene especially when Will touched Riley and everything flashed back from the first time they met. 

And finally, Will and Riley escaped with the help of other sensates. But Whispers was able to get inside Will's head so now it was up to Riley to save them both but she was having a hard time confronting her traumatic past of losing her baby. 

 Will: I know how much it hurts. I know you want to lay down here and never get up again. I know it, 'cause I feel it. I can feel it. And that means that somehow, somewhere... you can feel what I'm feeling, too... I love you. That's why you can't give up.

 *I know, I know, I'm a sucker for romance.

 

*The last scene where everyone was seen together.

Gah, I can't wait for Season 2! :)